New parking ban angers Saint John residents

Many motorists are ignoring the new Douglas Avenue parking ban

A Saint John councillor is hoping to find a compromise to a new parking ban along Douglas Avenue. (Connell Smith/CBC)

Saint John residents living along Douglas Avenue are furious over a new parking ban that was intended to protect students at a nearby high school.

Graham Burgess points to the new no-parking sign that city crews recently installed in front of his mother's Douglas Avenue duplex.

"They pulled up out front. I saw them. They looked at the sign and talked back and forth for a minute. And away they went," he said.

He said the new parking ban is making it really hard for his mother to rent out the ground floor unit of her home.

Burgess is one of many people in the area who are upset about the parking ban because they say there is nowhere else to park.

Many motorists were ignoring the ban on Thursday and were parking directly under the signs.

The city imposed the ban this fall to better protect Harbourview High School students who were walking out from between cars.

Many of the homes in the area are duplexes where tenants park on the street.

Burgess said he predicts the ban will cost the city if the value of the homes drops.

Compromise sought

A city councillor in the ward admits reaction to the parking ban has been largely negative.

Ward 2 Coun. John MacKenzie said he has been hearing from people living along Douglas Ave. and he would like to find a compromise to the parking ban.

MacKenzie said a total parking ban may not be necessary along the street.

Instead, he said he would like to see the parking prohibition limited to times when students are being dropped off or picked up.

"Then the rest of the time you'd be able to park there as a homeowner and the resident of an apartment," he said.

MacKenzie said he will take his motion for a compromise to Saint John council.

"We'd like to look at some sort of a compromise and I'll be bringing it forward to common council to see if we can't get time restrictions on parking when the kids are coming out and going in to the school," he said.